Wicket has been a revelation to me in so many ways. Although we always had dogs growing up, we adopted older dogs. I'd never had the puppy experience before Wicket.
While parts of it were hard (sleepless nights, the biting phase, the pooping in every corner phase) there have been benefits too. I love that I know his whole history. I've been there for pretty much all of his days. I know his birthday. I know how many siblings he has. And the most comforting thing is that I know from practically the moment he was born, he has been loved. He has known only kindness and caring. I don't think I could bear it if he had spent part of his life being mistreated or abused. The thought is just too terrible.
On a lighter note, one of the things I love about having raised him is that I've been able to convince him he likes wearing clothes. If I had gotten him as an older dog, he might have rebelled. But from the moment he came into our house I've gotten him used to wearing sweaters and yes, Halloween costumes. The secret isn't that surprising - every time I put him in a sweater I made sure that he got lots of treats and praise. Consequently, he has always associated being dressed with good things.
Of course, being that he has such a luxurious coat he can only wear sweaters for short stints before he gets too warm. It's a shame - he looks so cute in them. But they're just for special occasions and then only briefly. However, I've recently discovered that bowties are a great daily wear option. We discovered them at Target and haven't looked back since! They slide onto his collar and so are easy to change around, depending on mood. Although he looks great in sweaters, he looks fabulous in bowties. Work it, Wicket!
Even though I'm used to his natty appearance, I suppose it's not every day that you see a dog in a bowtie. So every now and again I'll get comments from strangers when we're out on our walk. Like this exchange:
Woman walking with son: What a cute dog!
Me: Thank you!
Little boy: Why is your dog wearing a bowtie?
Me: Because his tuxedo is at the cleaners.
When I told this story to Tracy, she laughed and then said, "You don't seriously have a tuxedo for him, do you?" No, that would be cra---- fine, yes! I have a tuxedo for him. What if he's invited to a formal party? What if we're in the mood to be dressy at the holidays? My stylish little fur child happens to look great in formal wear. (Plus Target had it on sale and I could not resist. Resistance was futile!)
So that's my little doggy fashion maven. Don't be surprised if one day you see him gracing the page of Vanity Fur!
While parts of it were hard (sleepless nights, the biting phase, the pooping in every corner phase) there have been benefits too. I love that I know his whole history. I've been there for pretty much all of his days. I know his birthday. I know how many siblings he has. And the most comforting thing is that I know from practically the moment he was born, he has been loved. He has known only kindness and caring. I don't think I could bear it if he had spent part of his life being mistreated or abused. The thought is just too terrible.
On a lighter note, one of the things I love about having raised him is that I've been able to convince him he likes wearing clothes. If I had gotten him as an older dog, he might have rebelled. But from the moment he came into our house I've gotten him used to wearing sweaters and yes, Halloween costumes. The secret isn't that surprising - every time I put him in a sweater I made sure that he got lots of treats and praise. Consequently, he has always associated being dressed with good things.
Of course, being that he has such a luxurious coat he can only wear sweaters for short stints before he gets too warm. It's a shame - he looks so cute in them. But they're just for special occasions and then only briefly. However, I've recently discovered that bowties are a great daily wear option. We discovered them at Target and haven't looked back since! They slide onto his collar and so are easy to change around, depending on mood. Although he looks great in sweaters, he looks fabulous in bowties. Work it, Wicket!
Even though I'm used to his natty appearance, I suppose it's not every day that you see a dog in a bowtie. So every now and again I'll get comments from strangers when we're out on our walk. Like this exchange:
Woman walking with son: What a cute dog!
Me: Thank you!
Little boy: Why is your dog wearing a bowtie?
Me: Because his tuxedo is at the cleaners.
When I told this story to Tracy, she laughed and then said, "You don't seriously have a tuxedo for him, do you?" No, that would be cra---- fine, yes! I have a tuxedo for him. What if he's invited to a formal party? What if we're in the mood to be dressy at the holidays? My stylish little fur child happens to look great in formal wear. (Plus Target had it on sale and I could not resist. Resistance was futile!)
So that's my little doggy fashion maven. Don't be surprised if one day you see him gracing the page of Vanity Fur!